John Havens

John Havens is a prominent figure in the fields of sustainability and ethics in technology, currently serving as the Sustainability Practice Lead at the IEEE Standards Association since January 2022. In this role, he leads initiatives aimed at fostering sustainability within technological design and practices, notably through the Planet Positive 2030 Program, which involves collaboration with over 400 global experts to develop sustainable practices and standards.12

In addition to his role at the IEEE, Havens is the Executive Director of the IEEE Global Initiative on Ethics of Autonomous and Intelligent Systems, where he has been instrumental in creating the Ethically Aligned Design framework, which emphasizes the importance of ethical considerations in the development of autonomous technologies. This initiative has garnered significant recognition and has influenced various organizations and policymakers globally.12

Havens has a diverse background that includes a previous career as an executive vice president at a public relations firm and over 15 years as a professional actor. He is also an accomplished author, having written books such as Heartificial Intelligence: Embracing Our Humanity to Maximize Machines and Hacking Happiness: Why Your Personal Data Counts and How Tracking it Can Change the World. His work has been featured in various leading publications, and he is recognized as a thought leader in AI ethics and sustainability.123